Ambulance Active Spring 2011Published By Countrywide Austral

cover story
“ From golf days to a Kokoda Trial walk,
24‐hour marathons, kayaking, running,
cycling right through to a cupcake
challenge, if ambos think of it, it happens.”
Jamie with United Voice officials.
The cost of Jamie’s care and this
specialised equipment was significant and
the process of a Workcover claim began.
Jamie and Melinee particularly acknowledge
QAS Workplace Health and Safety
Paramedic Rod Powell for the enormous
amount of assistance he gave in this area.
Jamie and Melinee also became very
aware of how the ambulance family works
together. Local ambos assisted with
renovating Jamie’s two-story townhouse
in preparation to be sold, enabling the
Jackway’s to finance a purpose built, and
wheelchair friendly, home.
A concerted effort from staff from
around Queensland was in full swing when
then QAS Commissioner David Melville
launched the Jamie Jackway Appeal.
From golf days to a Kokoda Trial walk,
24-hour marathons, kayaking, running,
cycling right through to a cupcake
challenge, if ambos think of it, it happens.
The enormous effort of staff ultimately
gained great community support. The
donations and offers of help have been
significant but more work is still to
be done.
Businesses right around Queensland
have donated materials for the muchneeded
construction of the new
wheelchair friendly Jackway home
in Townsville. Concrete, tapware,
paint and painters, air conditioners,
solar panels, roofing materials,
cupboards, windows and doors, the list
is extensive. With the majority of these
items donated, the cost to build this new
home for Jamie and Melinee has been
greatly reduced.
Pallet loads of donated materials from
the southeast corner of Queensland were
transported for free by Toll Transport –
all organised by the Transport Workers
Union. Jamie is a member of United Voice
(Queensland Ambulance Section) and
Hall Payne Lawyers are looking after his
pending legal case.
The house is currently 80 percent
complete and the next major working bee
will include landscaping and irrigation.
Jamie hopes to be in the new family
home before Christmas 2011.
Jamie would like to particularly
acknowledge the work of the QAS family
during his time in hospital. Melinee and
family were provided with a car and motel
accommodation not far from the hospital.
QAS Liaison Officers Tony King and Mike
Day have provided enormous support
and ensured Jamie and his family never
went without.
The Jamie Jackway QAS appeal wound up
in May 2011 after raising $65,000. This was
due specifically to the enormous amount of
work done by fellow ambos Bob Glenister
and Richard Galeano to form the Jamie
Jackway 2012 Foundation and, more recently,
the Australian National Paramedic Support
Foundation (ANPSF).This foundation was
formed due to the amount of work underway
around the state and the need to co-ordinate
the fine efforts and ensure the needs of
Jamie and Melinee in the challenge to
build their new home were met.
The main aim is to ensure the ANPSF can
continue to support the Jackway family and
to ensure that any ambulance staff member
who may need assistance in the future has
an established foundation to support them.
Hopefully this story demonstrates the
ongoing need for paramedics, who face
daily challenges right across our country,
to continue looking out for one another, be
safe in our workplaces, and know that our
work mates can and will support each other
in times of need. Above all, to hopefully
ensure that we all come home safe from
our shifts – wherever we may be located.
Aaron Harper is a QAS ICP Flight
Paramedic, based at the Townsville
Emergency Management Queensland
Airwing.Aaron wrote this article with
the permission of his friends, Jamie and
Melinee Jackway, who would like to extend
their heartfelt thanks to everyone who has
helped along their journey so far.
More about Jamie Jackway’s
amazing journey can be viewed at
www.ambulanceactive.com.au
About the ANPSF
The Australian National Paramedic
Support Foundation (ANPSF) was
established as a result of QAS
paramedic Jamie Jackway, who was
tragically injured in a rescue chopper
accident and now faces life as a
quadriplegic. The foundation is an
independent not-for-profit charity,
operated by a voluntary Board
of Directors and Advisory Board.
It is a registered
charity and all
donations are
tax deductible.
AMBULANCE ACTIVE SPRING 2011
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